Yamanashi Prefecture Oxide Corporation (Hokuto City)

Yamanashi Prefecture
Oxide Corporation
(Hokuto City)
Manufacturer of optical oxide monocrystals for the age of photonics in
the 21st century
Crystal Systems Inc. (Hokuto City)
The world's top-ranking manufacturer of R&D-purpose single crystal
synthesizers
Koike Co., Ltd. (Chuo City)
Manufacturing high-quality and high functionality single crystal wafers
for surface acoustic wave devices
Mirapro Co. (Hokuto city)
Manufacturing bellows which are made of metal but expand and shrink
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Manufacturing of oxide
single crystals for the
wide variety of photonics
applications in the 21st
century
Oxide
Corporation
1747-1, Makihara, Mukawa,
Hokuto City
Yamanashi Prefecture
Established in 2000
Tel +81- 551-26-0022
http://www.opt-oxide.com
Yasunori Furukawa
President
Based on fundamental research of National Institute for Material Science, an independent
administrative agency, OXIDE Corporation develops their original manufacturing
technology and high-performance, high-quality single crystals, as a R&D-oriented venture
company.
The first venture company from a National Research Laboratory
OXIDE was established in October 2000, as a customer-driven manufacturing company of oxide single crystals.
Their technologies are the new crystal growth technique and new materials that can be grown with it. They are
based on the inventions at National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials (NIRIM) of Japan. Oxide single
crystals are the key materials for a wide variety of optical applications including the rapidly growing photonics
network technology.
Realizing high-performance, high-quality single crystals by developing new technology
The company first introduced Stoichiometric LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 single crystals into the market. Stoichiometric
crystals are superior to their conventional counterparts in almost every respect, and will find widespread use in
tele-communications, optical storage and frequency doubling and parametric conversion. In 2003, the company even
won a technology award sponsored by the Japan Association of Crystal Growth. The next year, in response to
patents obtained by Osaka University, the company developed a crystal for ultraviolet laser equipment.
Leading the market for optical single crystals for wavelength conversion
In 2005, the company relocated its head office to Hokuto City, thus increasing its production capacity greatly.
With the growth of optical communication demand, the high-performance, high-quality single crystals are getting
important key materials. Although the market is still in its early stage, the company presumably enjoys a share of
more than 60% in the field of optical single crystals for photonic applications. OXIDE manufacture SLN SLT,
PPMgSLT, PPMgLN, CLBO, BBO, SBN, TiO2, GdVO4, Yb:YAG, DAST crystals. Aiming at being the leading
supplier of new oxide single crystals, OXIDE will continue to introduce new products to meet customer’s demands.
Manufacturing single
crystals by the double
crucible process
SBN crystal
For optical modulators, domain
engineering devices, and other
new opt-electric devices
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The world's top-ranking
manufacturer of
R&D-purpose single
crystal synthesizers
Crystal
Systems Inc.
9633-1, Kobuchizawa-machi,
Hokuto City
Yamanashi Prefecture
Established in 1995
TEL +81-551-36-5271
Dr. Isamu Shindo
http://www.crystalsys.co.jp
President
The company is the world's top-ranking manufacturer boasting a world share of 70% in
equipment for manufacturing single crystals, which are increasingly important as a key
material for semiconductors and other electronic devices.
Single crystals are a must in mobile telephones and other optical telecommunication devices.
Crystals have its molecules arranged neatly such as quartz, diamond, and ruby. The neat arrangement of their
crystals allows the material to display their characteristics most sensitively and accurately. Crystals are therefore
becoming increasingly important as key materials for semiconductors, optical communication, and other frontier
technological areas.
Developing single crystal growth equipments based on four ellipsoidal mirrors
Traditional "infrared lamp image furnaces," used for growing single crystals have one or two ellipsoidal mirror
system in which temperature homogeneity were not enouch for high quality single crystals. The company then
developed the four ellipsoidal mirrors furnace which can achieve very uniform temperature conditions and
succeeded in manufacturing large and high-quality single crystals in a short time.
The company's products are cherished by universities and institutes all over the world,
having won a world share of 70%.
Infrared lamp image furnace
The company's research-purpose single crystal synthesizers are
cherished by universities and institutes both at home and
abroad, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
thus being highly valued by entities all over the world. The
company's leading product, "infrared lamp image furnace," is
unrivaled as a high-quality single crystal synthesizer. The company
is thus the world's top-ranking manufacturer boasting a world share
of 70%.
Rutile: TiO2
Optical crystal with a higher refraction
index than that of diamond
Remotely controlled from anywhere in
the world and at any time
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Manufacturing
high-quality and high
functionality single crystal
wafers for surface
acoustic wave devices
Koike
Co., Ltd.
663, Ichimachihatake, Chuo City
Yamanashi Prefecture
Established in 1946
TEL +81-55-273-5561
http://www.koike-corp.co.jp/
Hikaru Koike
President
The company manufactures lithium tantalate and quartz wafers used for substrates for
filters to control the electrical signals to be communicated by mobile telephones and for
video equipment and for the keyless entry of automobiles. In those wafers, the company
has a world share of more than 40%.
SAW device substrates as the key for removing noises from mobile telephones and other
communications equipment
Mobile telephones and other communication equipment use band pass filters designed to communicate sound and
image signals clearly. These filters first convert electric signals to surface acoustic waves (SAWs), which propagate
conveyed along solid surfaces. They are then collected as electric signals to extract the necessary frequencies.
This role is played by SAW devices.
As mobile telephones get digitized and increasing amounts of information are communicated by video clips and
other means, demand is growing for lithium tantalate wafers as substrates for SAW devices capable of handling
wide-bandwidth, high-frequency signals.
The company is the world's first to have mass-produced anti-pyroelectric wafers based on
lithium tantalate.
The company produces lithium tantalate wafers in a continuous process beginning with crystal growth, thus
developing a technology for wafer processing with high quality and high flatness. To meet the needs for
miniaturization and low-profile of SAW devices, the company developed a technology for thin-wafer manufacturing.
The company also secured a license agreement from a USA company
for Pyro-Free technology for inhibiting the emission of
static electricity, which can become a barrier to the design and
manufacture of SAW devices. The company is thus the first
in the world to have succeeded in mass-producing
"Pyro-Free wafers." By increasing the functionality of
lithium tantalate wafers, the company has now secured a world
share of more than 40% similarly to quarts wafers.
Demand is expected to continue to grow.
Lithium tantalate wafers are expected to
see even higher demand due to the
diversification of mobile telephones (which
are expected to have topped 1 billion units
in the world), personal digital assistants,
and similar equipment. Quartz wafers are
also expected to see demand not only for
SAW devices but for pneumatic and
acceleration sensors as well.
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Mirapro Co.
Manufacturing bellows
which are made of metal
but expand and shrink
1100, Anadaira, Sutama-cho,
Hokuto city,
Yamanashi Prefecture
Established in 1984
TEL +81-551-42-5111
http://www.mirapro.co.jp
Yoichi Tsugane
President
The company occupies the top-ranking share in Japan by manufacturing metal bellows
that expand and shrink in the forms of an accordion, functioning as the heart designed to
make a vacuum environment, which is a must for research and development in high-tech
industries.
Bellows that are made of metal but expand and shrink
Bellows are used to absorb position changes between vacuum devices connected and vibrations and displacements
generated during operation when a vacuum environment is developed as something indispensable for research in
semiconductor manufacturing, medical equipment, biotech technology, and other high-tech industries. These
accordion-like parts are characterized by their expansion and shrinkage despite their being of metal. Bellows come
in two types: welded and formed bellows. The former is characterized by its expandability, shrinkability, and
bending characteristics, while the latter is characterized by the possibility of its length being changed as desired.
Contributing to all industries as the heart of high-tech equipment
The company's welded bellows center around "large-diameter welded bellows" having unique wavy shapes, and
are used for the core of semiconductor-manufacturing lines, along with areas of R&D, medical equipment, nuclear
power plants, various communications, food, and other areas needing vacuum technology, based on liquid crystal
technology and various high-tech equipment. They then boast the top-ranking share in Japan because of their high
quality and low prices.
Increasing quality and productivity by automated welding
The company has succeeded in fully automating the welding process, which consisted mainly of manual work
called "artisanship" and "work by skilled workers." The company developed a fully automatic bellows welder, thus
building a 24-hour operating production system. The development of this innovative production line increased both
quality and production efficiency dramatically. Although a late starter in the industry, the company is enthusiastic
about developing bellows products and manufacturing processes.
Welded bellows
Formed bellows
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